


Spinning Wheel

by Flailingkittylover



Series: Gen fics/no ships [5]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Annie why did you spin that dude like a yo-yo, Canon-Type Violence, Not cool man not cool, Other, character-study
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:33:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23960143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flailingkittylover/pseuds/Flailingkittylover
Summary: My interpretation of why Annie spun one of the Survey Corp soldiers in episode 18.
Relationships: Annie Leonhart & Annie Leonhart's Father
Series: Gen fics/no ships [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2141517
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	Spinning Wheel

_Quick and efficient._ Annie repeats in her head. _Ruthless but clean_. 

_“How they will die is unavoidably messy.” Father acknowledged to her younger-self. She sat in her seat across the table from him, focused. “You cannot control such an inevitable thing. What you_ can _control is how quickly these enemies will die.”_

_Annie shifted in her seat. She’s used to hearing of the horrors she must do_ — _even at her tender age of five_ — _but the thought was still discomforting. To her relief, Father didn’t scold her hesitance, only raised an aware chin._

_“The Leonhardt clan are not sore losers and as Eldians we shall not be remembered as heroes, but I will_ not _accept the title of us being sadists. You will kill, Annie. But do it as quickly and efficiently as you can.”_

Annie recalls these words as she sprints the Titan-riddled countryside. For what Reiner’s worth, he was able to carve into her hand where Eren is—where the object of their desires can be captured—and finally, all of this can _stop._ No more espionage, secrecy, and sleepless nights—only her and Father living how they truly want to until her time is up.

A squad of Scouts intercept her but after she dodges their coordinated attack, one stomp into the ground flattens a body entirely; one swipe of a well-aimed kick breaks all the bones of another and squashes her into a house.

Then there is one who hangs in her grip—a man who is frightened and pleading to be let go. A part of her is tempted to set him down and kill the other man’s horse but they would still be under the constant threat of Titans— her mercy is still a death sentence. But Annie remembers the eyes of the future are watching too. The next Female Titan host may not take kindly to her empathy toward these Walldians, could reveal this blasphemy to Magath or Zeke and then her one, questionable action could put Father in danger. Then there is this man on his horse— another person who looks at her fearfully—and in a flash, Annie sees Marco again; she hears his vocal-chord straining cry, begs to know why like this man pleads to be let go, and to have two more people cower and stare fearfully at her before their death like Marco did... 

She makes a decision.

She tugs on the wire, snaps the man’s spine in one swift motion, and based off the lessons Father hammered into her, the soldier should be dead or all of the feeling in his body is gone now. Upon seeing the man’s comrade nearby, she twirls this impossibly alive human like a spinning wheel in her hand—a move which should compel him to run. The man is terrified and he escapes on horseback, has his back to her like she wanted too, but she can’t let him live either. His fear and pain lasts only a second before her foot creeps at him from the back and he and his horse are launched into the sky.

Within minutes, the Survey Corps’s right flank is eradicated and she keeps faithful to Father’s desire, her also being uninterested in seeing more pain than she’s already created. Her memories will be preserved in the next Female Titan and Father’s Leonhardt name will not be slandered.

Her Titans muscled form follows Reiner’s directions until she reaches a forest with an ungodly tall reach into the clouds. 

Annie hopes what she sees is all that’s passed on when she relinquishes her life, not the feeling of the invisible knife sliding into her heart from remembering Marco’s tearing face.

**Author's Note:**

> Watch this theory be proven wrong in a month or two LOL. But I do wonder why Annie specifically chose to treat the “spinning soldier” this way, especially with the episode focusing on her eyes staring into him and him to her, then on another frame, she is spinning him and her eyes are hidden. Marco’s death had a profound effect on her and I’m curious to know if she did this because after having Marco plead in front of her face, Annie makes it a point to not look at anyone in the eye before their death. 
> 
> Or maybe she just wanted to go stompy stompy and “it’s really not that deep bro”. I doubt it but it’s possible. Yams tell me please. :(


End file.
